HOME PAGE: No matter what your political views might be... One thing is for certain. In these days of fast news and even faster life styles... We all seem to have forgotten those moments in history that so abruptly and tragically changed this beloved Country of ours... 9/11… How soon we forget…

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Iraq:On Ground Updates, 2009 ElectionsIraq's provincial elections have wrapped up without any reports of serious violenceSaturday, January 31, 2009

FOXNews.com brings us this GOOD NEWS and it starts off like this...Polls closed at 6 p.m. (10 a.m. EST) on Saturday - an hour later than planned - after millions of voters cast ballots for influential regional councils around most of Iraq. There were no reports of major violence... Iraqi authorities imposed a huge security operation around the country that included traffic bans in major cities and extensive checkpoints and surveillance posts. The U.S. military also was out in force but did not take a direct role in the election security... Results from the elections are not expected before Tuesday...Click here for photos.Read the full reportHERE

Thanks for reporting this News, FOX. You’re the only one this morning with anything about it.....

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.Under Tight Security, Iraqis Go to the Polls

About News Video: Iraqis vote in provincial elections under tight security. The vote is seen as a test for the nation's stability as the U.S. weighs dialing down its troop presence here.News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress

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You would think this would be FrontPage News but I just left the CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS websites, (Saturday morning- 9:30am CST) and had to HUNT down any story on Iraq and today’s elections.

Talking about turning the page without a single THANK YOU sent out to the Troops and their leaders who made this all possible!

Friday, January 30, 2009

About Photo: An Iraqi Army colonel shows his purple index finger indicating that he voted during the provincial elections in Baghdad, Jan. 28, 2009.U.S. Army photo by Spc. Douglas York.************.Iraq Prepared for Provincial ElectionsFriday, January 30, 2009.

Iraqis of all backgrounds are preparing to vote during their country’s first election since 2005, a senior Defense Department official said here Thursday..More than 15 million Iraqis are eligible to vote in the Jan. 31 provincial elections, which will select representatives for 440 council seats across the country’s 18 provinces, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told Pentagon reporters..The more than 14,000 candidates “have for the most part, run on issues that matter to the Iraqi people, rather than trying to exploit ethnic or sectarian divisions,” Morrell said..There has been some pre-election violence, but relatively few instances of voter intimidation, Morrell said..Sunnis had boycotted the 2005 Iraqi elections, but indications are they will participate in this year’s provincial-seat polling, Morrell said. This development, he said, should produce a more representative Iraqi government, particularly in traditionally Sunni areas..U.S. and Coalition troops will support Iraqi Security Forces during the election, Morrell said..Morrell also noted that Afghan government officials have announced their country’s next national elections will be held in August, just before the Ramadan observance period. Reports also indicate, he added, that voter registrations in Afghanistan continue to progress well..“So, we are pleased that the relatively new democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to mature rapidly,” Morrell said.

.Taken from an article on the MNF-I website - Written by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service

Let’s get started off with this GREAT article I found posted on the KSLA website this past Friday evening, Jan. 23rd. It starts off like this...Get ready for the next phase of the Haynesville Shale, as natural gas companies look to lay pipelines to get all that gas to market... American Right of Way Associates CEO Don Valden is getting ready to train an army of new right of way agents to begin working the Haynesville Shale, "I think from what we're hearing from all the experts, what happened in the Barnett Shale is gonna happen here, and I think it's because the Haynesville Shale is larger than the Barnett, from what they're telling us, I think there's gonna be more people here, there's gonna be a lot more infrastructure needed."...Read the rest at link below...Pipeline Rights of Way: The next boom in the Haynesville Shale>>> Here’s another good read I found on the KSLA website. Post date, Jan. 15th...Economy's impact on Haynesville Shale activity minimal.* GlobeNewswire.com has this report today. Post date, Jan. 28th...Cubic Energy, Inc. (NYSE Alternext: QBC) ("Cubic" or the "Company") announces today it has accepted a proposal to participate in the horizontal drilling of Chesapeake's Clingman Acres 11H well. This well is located in the Johnson Branch Field of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, and will be horizontally drilled to a measured depth of 17,000 feet, followed by a Haynesville Shale completion...Read the rest at link below...Cubic Energy, Inc. Participates in Additional Chesapeake Horizontal Haynesville Shale Well.* This report on the KTBS.com website came out early this Wednesday afternoon and it starts off like this...Work continued this afternoon to cap a natural gas well blowout near Spring Ridge, La...Chesapeake Energy's Kevin McCotter said crews are making progress in getting the well capped. They are continuing to monitor the air quality at the scene and the emission of natural gas continues to be very minimal, McCotter said... There was no explosion or fire when the well blew about 2 a.m. today. McCotter said that on a scale of 1 to 10 -- with 10 being a blazing well and leaking natural gas -- "This is a 1."...Read the rest at link below...Natural gas well blows out in Caddo ParishCheck back, at above link, this evening to see if they update/place News Video up on this Natural Gas Blowout.* AD-HOC-NEWS.de has the following report for us today and it goes in part like this... Regency has negotiated definitive agreements with shippers for 800 MMcfd, which is more than 70% of the capacity of the Haynesville Expansion Project. The project would expand Regency’s pipeline system in North Louisiana to bring natural gas from the Haynesville Shale - one of the most active new natural gas plays in the United States - to market. The agreements are for firm transportation capacity under 10 year contract terms and are subject to conditions including final approval by Regency’s board of directors... Regency is also in advanced discussions with other shippers who have requested transportation volumes exceeding the remaining capacity. Regency has eliminated its obligation for the purchase of 28 miles of 24-inch pipe that is no longer needed for the revised 1.1 bcf/d expansion...Read the full report at link below...Regency Energy Partners Declares Quarterly Distribution and Provides Update on Haynesville Expansion Project

.* Reuters had this article posted up on their website Tuesday afternoon, Jan.27th and it starts off like this... Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP.N) said Tuesday it would build a 178-mile, 42-inch interstate natural gas pipeline stretching from Texas to Louisiana through the heart of the Haynesville Shale... The Tiger Pipeline is expected to cost between $1 billion and $1.2 billion to construct, depending upon final throughput capacity design, with costs incurred over a three-year period, the company said in a statement... Initial capacity of at least 1.25 billion cubic feet per day may be increased up to 2 bcf per day based on the results of an open season, the company said... Energy Transfer agreed to a 15-year firm transportation pact with Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.N) unit Chesapeake Energy Marketing Inc for approximately 1 bcf per day of capacity...Read the rest at link below...Energy Transfer to build Haynesville gas pipeline.* CNNMoney.com had this take...Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (ETP) Tuesday said it reached a deal with Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) to build a large interstate pipeline to transport natural gas from the booming Haynesville Shale formation in Texas and Louisiana...Read the rest at link below...Energy Transfer, Chesapeake In Pact For Gas Pipeline.* DailyComet.com had this report back on the 23rd...Mineral leases dip for second straight month.* Tulsaworld.com had this interesting read posted on their website, Jan. 17th...Gas storage startup New Gulf seeks capital, customers.*On Jan 16th The Shreveport Times website had this article posted on their website...Directional drilling company opens Stonewall location

> At the following TwinCitiesDev.com link, you can click on various parts of the rig (indicated by numbers) and read or listen to part descriptions...Parts of a Drilling Rig described.> At the following TwinCitiesDev.com link, you can you can learn how the Fracing Process makes it possible to release gas from deep below the surface...Fracing Process

* Photo for the Day *Members of the Iraqi National Police show off their newly inked fingers after voting in the provincial elections at the Bilal Al Habashi School in the Istaqlal Qada of northeastern Baghdad, January 28, 2009.Read the story behind the photo HEREPhoto by Scott Flenner, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs

The Department of Defense announced todaythe death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died from wounds suffered when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Helicopters crashed January 26th in Kirkuk, Iraq. They were assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Since that tragic day on 9-11-2001… many of our bravest have given their all while fighting for this great country of ours. Please take a moment to thank them, in your own way, for all they have done and were willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours. May God bless each and every one of these fallen Heroes, all of those who have been wounded, all of their families, friends, loved ones and their comrades in arms who were at their side..We may have a New Commander in Chief... but our Old Enemies are still out there and hell-bent on Killing Us..Never forget those that protect us -- Each and every day...AubreyJ.........

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, 19, of Corona, Calif., died January 24th in Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 515th Sapper Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.For more information the media may contact the Fort Leonard Wood public affairs office at (573) 563-4145.

* Photo for the Day *Afghan security forces, local residents and U.S. soldiers lay planks for a bridge in the Lal Por district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.Read the story behind the photo HEREU.S. Army photo by Capt. Jay Bessey

Monday, January 26, 2009

Palm prints are taken from the scene of a diffused roadside bomb in Iraq. Later, an individual entering a New York airport is arrested on an unrelated charge. A full set of prints are taken during the booking process and submitted to our Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. A positive ID connects the man to the roadside bomb..A ski mask-wearing bank robber leaves with his loot, and witnesses tell police they noticed a red skull tattoo on his hand. A search of NGI’s Interstate Photo System for a red skull tattoo provides a potential candidate list that could ultimately lead to the identification of the bank robber..Both cases are hypothetical, but in the not-too-distant future these scenarios could really happen…thanks to the ongoing development of the Next Generation Identification system -- a logical evolution of our current Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS)..That evolution will include not only enhanced fingerprint capabilities but also other forms of biometric identification like palm prints, iris scans, facial imaging, scars, marks, and tattoos -- in one searchable system..Next Generation Identification is….A state-of-the-art identification system that will be “bigger, faster, and better” than IAFIS, says Assistant Director Tom Bush of our Criminal Justice Information Services Division..“Bigger” because it will increase the capacity of our fingerprint storage plus house multimodal biometrics records like palm prints and iris scans…and still have room to accommodate future biometric technologies (i.e., voice, gait, etc.) as they become available and prove reliable..“Faster” because it will speed up response time for high priority criminal ten-print submissions from two hours to about 10 minutes on average. There will also be a special category called the “Repository of Individuals of Special Concern” containing records of known or suspected terrorists, wanted persons, and sexual offender registry names. These records can be quickly searched to help law enforcement in the U.S. and American soldiers in places like Iraq and Afghanistan assess the level of threat during an encounter..“Better” because going beyond fingerprints as biometric identifiers will enhance the investigative and identification processes. For example, adding palm prints makes sense: some of the latent prints left behind by criminals at crime scenes are palm prints. NGI is also being developed to be compatible with other U.S. biometric systems and potentially with those of some foreign partners..Next Generation Identification is not….A tool to expand the categories of individuals from who the fingerprints and biometric data may be collected, nor will it change existing legal authorities..It doesn’t threaten individual privacy. As required with any federal system, the FBI is doing Privacy Impact Assessments on what information will be collected, how it will be shared, how it will be accessed, and how the data will be securely stored…all in an effort to protect privacy..NGI is not strictly an FBI system. It’s a joint effort and is being developed in full collaboration with its primary users—our local, state, and federal partners…in particular the CJIS Advisory Policy Board and the National Crime Prevention Compact Council..Over the next few years, we’ll be rolling out NGI capabilities incrementally so our partners will have the benefit of each capability as soon as it gets our stamp of approval.

.Stay tuned for future updates by visiting the new NGI webpageTaken from article posted on FBI.gov website..*************************AubreyJ.........

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, 24, of Swansea, Mass., died January 24th in Basra, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-hostile accident in his unit motor pool. He was assigned to the 542nd Maintenance Company, 80th Ordnance Battalion, 593rd Sustainment Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash. The incident is under investigation.For more information media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0147 or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the Public Affairs Officer on call).

Image credit: John McCain’s Campaign Website..FairHome.co.uk had this GREAT read posted up on their website Sunday that I had to share with you. It starts off like this...The National Grid is piloting a new energy creation technology that harnesses the energy stored in high pressure gas pipes... Natural gas has extremely high pressure when it is sourced from underground... This pressure has to be reduced eight times before the gas is suitable for use in homes - a process that wastes huge amounts of latent energy... The new technology uses a turbine to harness the energy created when the gas pressure is reduced, and this energy is used to generate electricity...Read the rest at link below...Gas pipeline pressure to generate electricity.Here’s another good read I think you might like...New road surface generates power.*********************AubreyJ.........

Sunday, January 25, 2009

* Photo for the Day *The FutureAn Iraqi child watches as U.S. and Iraqi Army Soldiers conduct a market cordon and search on Jan. 20, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq.Info courtesy of MNF-I - Photo by Sgt. Edwin Bridges

Saturday, January 24, 2009

President Obama Delivers His FirstWeekly Video AddressSaturday, January 24th, 2009.In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discusses how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.."This is not just a short-term program to boost employment," he said. "It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century.".The Administration is still working with Congress to refine the plan, but in the address, President Obama lays out the key priorities. He goes into detail, noting that the plan will update our electric grid by laying more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines; weatherize 2.5 million homes; protect health insurance for more than 8 million Americans in danger of losing their coverage; secure 90 major ports; renovate 10,000 schools; and triple the number of science fellowships..Watch the President's weekly address and read the full remarks...HEREInfo/Video/Photo from‘The White House Blog’

Friday, January 23, 2009

* WashingtonPost.com brings us this report today and it starts off like this...At least 20 people were killed in northwest Pakistan near the border of Afghanistan on Friday in two suspected U.S. missile strikes, marking the first such attack in Pakistan's tribal areas since President Obama's inauguration... A U.S. Predator drone fired three missiles at a compound about two miles from the town of Mirali in the tribal area of North Waziristan about 5:15 p.m., according to a Pakistani security official and local residents. The precision strike leveled a compound, which was owned by local tribal elder Khalil Malik, killing at least 10 suspected militants, including five foreign nationals, according to the Pakistani security official. The site of the attack is about 30 miles east of the Afghan border... The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Malik was killed along with his brother and nephew... Authorities in North Waziristan, however, said they have been so far unable to identify any of those killed because militants immediately cordoned off the area. "I suspect a high-value target may be among the dead," the Pakistani security official said...Read the full report HERE.* AFP has this short report...White House no comment on suspect Pakistan strikes

File Photo from Obama Campaign website

.***********. Good Hunting, President Obama!!!At least we know... and our enemies know... you DO have it in you..Now... If you could only find yourself to say, out loud, to the American People, and our enemies, that we ARE AT WAR! That the War on Terror is real and ongoing... it sure would make a lot of people out here feel a lot better with you and where you’re going with the Country.AubreyJ.........********In the Blogs today, The American Pundit had this Post...Obama’s Airstrike Kills Three Children(How true... How true!)

(202) 324-3691.The arson at theVail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado, in 1998 caused an estimated $12 million in damages.Photo courtesy of FBI. Possible Sighting of FBI Fugitive in British Columbia

.The FBI is working with Canadian authorities to confirm the possible sighting of one of its Domestic Terrorism fugitives..Last November, the Bureau announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of four eco-terrorists known as “The Family.”.Rebecca Rubin, one of the four fugitives, was spotted by a tipster who may have seen her near her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia..We received several tips about all of the fugitives as a result of the publicity..Some of the information was pretty specific about Rebecca RubinThe FBI is working through its agents assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to follow up on this information.Rubin and three other fugitives, Joseph Dibee, Josephine Overaker, and Justin Solondz, are all believed to be living abroad..It has been 10 years since the group torched a ski resort in Vail, Colorado, causing $26 million in damage and drawing international attention to eco-terrorists—those who break the law in the name of the environment and animal rights..Here are the charges against the four:.Dibee was indicted in 2006 on charges of arson, conspiracy, and animal enterprise terrorism. He is believed to be living in Syria with family members..Overaker has been on the run since 2001. She was indicted in 2004, with subsequent indictments in 2006, including for her involvement with the 1998 Vail arson. She is believed to have spent time in Germany and may have settled in Spain. She speaks fluent Spanish..Rubin was indicted in 2006 for the Vail arson and other domestic terrorism crimes. A Canadian citizen, she has strong family ties to Canada and may be living there..Solondz was also indicted in 2006 on charges that include arson, conspiracy, and animal enterprise terrorism. He was out of the country when he was indicted and has never returned. Solondz has traveled in Russia, China, and India..Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any fugitive should contact their nearest law enforcement agency, FBI Field Office, or U.S. Embassy.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Spc. Ezra Dawson, 31, of Las Vegas, Nev., died January 17th in Konar Province, Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter he was in made a hard landing under combat conditions. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.For more information the media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are:Pfc. Julian H. Rogers, of Bloomington, Ind

Pvt. Henry E. Marquez, of Kansas City, Kan

Both men were U.S. Army. Rogers will be buried in the spring in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Marquez will be buried on May 30 in Kansas City, Mo.

Representatives from the Army's Mortuary Office met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

In November 1944, the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, was attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Rogers and Marquez, both members of G Company, 112th Infantry Regiment, were reported killed in action near Vossenack on Nov. 4. Their bodies were not recovered.

In 2007, a German citizen searching for wartime relics in the Hürtgen Forest uncovered human remains and military identification tags for Rogers and Marquez. He notified U.S. officials and a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the site later that year. The team recovered human remains and non-biological material.

Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

* Newsweek.com brings us this report this Thursday morning and it starts off like this...President Barack Obama began overhauling U.S. treatment of terror suspects Thursday, signing orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, review military war crimes trials and ban the harshest interrogation methods... "We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms," Obama said as he signed three executive orders and a presidential directive in the Oval Office. Obama explained each order before he put his pen to them, in some cases reading them in full, and occasionally solicited input from White House counsel Greg Craig to make sure he was describing them correctly...Read the full report HERE.> FoxNews.com reports it this way...President Obama, putting his executive pen in his left hand to overrule eight years of Bush administration policy, signed "several" executive orders Thursday, including ones affecting national security...Read their report at link below...Obama Issues Directives on Detainees, Interrogation, Guantanamo

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

ON Ground Updates: Israel/Palestinian ConflictIsrael says all Soldiers have now pulled out of GazaWednesday, January 21, 2009.* SkyNews.com brings us this report today and it starts off like this... Israel says all its soldiers have now been pulled out of Gaza... They have not gone far. Much of its heavy armour remains massed on the border and Israel says it may send them back in again if Hamas resumes its rocket fire... Soldiers have told Sky News Online they have been kept on combat readiness for 30 days. That order extends even to troops' communications with families... "We are not allowed to see our wives or girlfriends," said one infantryman. "We can only phone them so we stay focused."... Israel announced its unilateral ceasefire on Saturday night and Hamas followed suit the next day... Hamas issued Israel with demands to withdraw troops in a week and open Gaza's border crossings... But Israel says any agreement to reopen crossings is a long way off and conditional on Hamas releasing abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit...Read the rest at link below...Gaza: Israeli Army 'Combat Ready'.* PressTV.ir has this report today and it goes like this... Thousands of Palestinians stage a massive rally in the Gaza Strip to celebrate the Hamas government's dramatic victory over Israel... The people of Gaza poured to the streets to celebrate the resistance that their democratically-elected government displayed during a 22-day war with Israel and its heavily armed military... The demonstrators celebrated by waving Hamas flags and shouting slogans in support of the movement, as the Israel army said that it had withdrawn all its forces from the coastal region... On Monday, senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said Israeli offensive into Gaza was a failure for Tel Aviv and a victory for Palestinians, who were able to withstand the Israeli onslaught... God has granted us a great victory, not for one faction, or party, or area, but for our entire people… Despite all the wounds, our people didn't surrender, but demonstrated a legendary perseverance," he said in a televised message... Similar celebrations were also held in Iran on Tuesday and Wednesday as people took to the streets to express their joy over the success of the Palestinian resistance...

Read the rest at link below...Palestinians celebrate Hamas victory**********VICTORY!!!?Your land lies in ruble, as far as you can see... and you people are celebrating a... VICTORY!I think you DAs got your BUTTS kicked... and badly!AubreyJ..........*********************************.JerusalemOnline.comIsrael’s Channel 2 News OnlineClick out their Daily News Report HERE

(Due to HEAVY Internet traffic, News Video may take a few to load).******************.

Click Banner above to get all the Updated News from the ones making it... The Israeli Defense Force!.**************************.This should be my last post on this round of fighting. I will be doing my regular update posts, ever so often, that I call... ‘On Ground Updates: Israel’AubreyJ.........

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, 20, of Athens, Ala., died January 16th in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Like it or not…Change has come to The White House.President Barack H. ObamaTuesday, January 20, 2009.************. A National Day of Renewal and ReconciliationTuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

.Moments ago, in his first official act since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation, calling on Americans to serve one another and our common purpose on this National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. Check it out below, or read it on the WhiteHouse.gov proclamations page..NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AND RECONCILIATION, 2009- - - - - - -BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATION

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As I take the sacred oath of the highest office in the land, I am humbled by the responsibility placed upon my shoulders, renewed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome God..We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven..On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright -- it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more..So in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, let us remember that: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.".NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century..IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

Monday, January 19, 2009

FoxNews.com brings us this bit of GOOD news this Monday and it goes like this...On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the controversial sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005... The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively... Their sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year...Read the full story HERE

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Staff SSgt. Joshua R. Townsend, 30, of Solvang , Calif. , died Jan. 16 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan , of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg , N.C. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005; (910) 689-6187 after hours, or visit (http://news.soc.mil)

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La., died January 17th as a result of a non-hostile incident in Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.For further information related to this release please contact MacDill Air Force Base Public Affairs, (813) 828-2215.

About Me

My pen name is AubreyJ... I’m 60 years young and I live in Shreveport, LA. I've been married only once and that is to the same lovely lady named Amy. (It’s hard to believe that after all these years she still claims me as hers!) Have one Daughter named Michelle and two wonderful Grandsons named David, (18) and Chase, (13). I spent most of my adult life as a Manager in the Sales and Service profession. Today I am semi-retired and spend most of my time searching for news stories and Blogging on the ones that I find news worthy. I’m a... just right of the middle... Republican, who’s 1000% Pro Victory on the War on Terror. I’m a strong supporter of the Troops and my Political Party... Even though I find myself in some disagreement, yet MAJOR disappointment with where the leaders of my Party have taken us over these last so many years. Sadly -- I still cannot find very much of anything that I agree with the Dems on these days... GOD BLESS THE TROOPS... their families and this great country of ours.
AubreyJ.........